Microsoft Project Server vs Planisware comparison

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Microsoft Project Server

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 4, 2024

Planisware and Microsoft Project Server compete in the project management software category. Microsoft Project Server seems to have the upper hand due to its integration capabilities and extensive feature set, while Planisware is favored for its pricing and support.

Features: Planisware offers advanced portfolio management, powerful financial tracking, and robust resource planning. Microsoft Project Server provides seamless integration with other Microsoft products, comprehensive resource management, and detailed project scheduling.

Room for Improvement: Planisware could enhance its user interface and reduce the complexity of its deployment process. Microsoft Project Server requires improvement in intuitive usability for non-Microsoft users and could benefit from cost reductions. Both products could improve offline documentation and provide more extensive training resources.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Project Server offers cloud-based deployment with seamless integration within Microsoft environments, supported by dedicated channels. Planisware's deployment is highly customizable but may require more configuration time, with a focus on tailored user support.

Pricing and ROI: Planisware has competitive pricing and a scalable cost structure, enhancing ROI over time, particularly beneficial for large enterprises. Microsoft Project Server may incur higher initial costs but achieves strong ROI through productivity gains from its integration capabilities, despite a steeper upfront investment.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Project Server vs. Planisware Report (Updated: July 2025).

Microsoft Project Server vs. Planisware

July 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Project Server

Ranking in Project Portfolio Management

4th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Planisware

Ranking in Project Portfolio Management

5th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Project Portfolio Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Project Server is 6.1%, down from 8.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Planisware is 10.2%, up from 8.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Project Portfolio Management

Featured Reviews

Mouloud Fourali

Project Manager at Digital Research Alliance of Canada

Visual project planning enhances collaboration and proactive management

The dependency management in Microsoft Project is highly valuable, as it visually maps dependencies and impacts within a project plan. The online version facilitates easy collaboration without having to share multiple versions of the file. The Gantt chart is also a very powerful tool for a visual presentation of sequences, critical paths, and execution processes, which simplifies comprehension for users.

Read full review

Avinash Padmanabhan

Solution Architect | Planisware Consultant at Schlumberger

Efficient project management and resource allocation, but agile capabilities need improvement

One drawback with Planisware is that it doesn't have good features for test management or agile; it lacks many concepts in agile such as retrospective, velocity planning, and backlog view. Some features are still missing because they have introduced these agile modules only in version seven and are still improving that product, so I see a good roadmap on those modules from Planisware's end. I find Planisware's collaboration tools to be good but not great as they still have certain restrictions. It can interact with Jira, it can interact with ADO, and you can have APIs created to interact with your internal HR systems or other systems for data flow. However, the error messages or fail scenarios don't provide good visibility of what is happening, why errors occur, or why something is not working. Regarding scenario planning, I haven't explored much on that side. We have the strategic module, strategic planning module, but we haven't explored much on the other side, so I don't have much experience or exposure to scenario planning.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The solution's ease of use is its most valuable aspect."

"We are able to know what we are doing, how much we have spent, how much time we've taken, and it tells us how much money is left for the project. It also tells us whether we are below or above our expenditures, whether we are below or above our budget."

"Technical support is very responsive - particularly on critical tickets."

"The stability of the 2019 version is quite good."

"Project schedule management is very good. Basically, it sits on SharePoint. So, every time we create a project, a new project site is created within that SharePoint environment, which is a very good document repository. It allows us to create issues and risks lists and additional functionality to keep track of what's going on with projects."

"We use Microsoft Project Server for project management."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is stable to use, especially since I work with Microsoft for an extended period."

"I would recommend Microsoft Project Server to other organizations and would rate the solution ten out of ten."

More Microsoft Project Server pros

"We have a variety of different modules, but it is mainly used for costs, risks, and resources."

"The area that could benefit from improvement in this Planisware is the project management tool. I have previously used Project Server, which is a Microsoft solution, and I found it to be more user-friendly as it included a client solution. In contrast, with this solution, the only option available is the online version, making it difficult to create activities, milestones, and other necessary components. This is in comparison to Planisware, which offers a more comprehensive solution."

"Planisware has introduced Agile concepts, making it capable of Agile management similar to Jira and other Agile tools."

"It stands out by automating the intricate mechanics of project execution, eliminating the need for highly technical individuals to manage and reconfigure models."

"There are two things in particular that I enjoy. The first is the portfolio planning section. Another advantage is that it is highly customizable."

"It has an inbuilt BI tool, which can be compared to Power BI or Tableau."

"Overall, our company has all disintegrated systems, and with Planisware, we are getting a very integrated view of my portfolio reporting, cost and load, and everything else."

"Planisware offers integration with multiple tools and provides a good level of customization."

More Planisware pros

Cons

"In terms of tech support, it took a long time for them to resolve a ticket."

"It needs to be more collaborative from inside the application. It only does project scheduling for me. It would be good if it could do other things and be more collaborative, such as sharing tasks for users. It is not really incorporated into MS Office, so you can't copy-paste stuff. It is on its own, doing its own thing. It is only used for scheduling, and it doesn't work well with anything else."

"We think that calculations are not working correctly, and there is a need to enter data a couple of times in order to give the correct calculations."

"The check-in, check-out feature makes Microsoft Project Server pretty slow or cumbersome to use."

"The solution could improve the ease of access could improve. It can be time-consuming."

"The solution must provide Agile and AI features."

"Microsoft is going to integrate the Co-Pilot features into Microsoft Project. The AI feature is an additional feature. It can look at the plan and identify risks early on from any part of your project."

"We want to expand to the local level where we lack strong IT expertise, we are considering making it more user-friendly."

More Microsoft Project Server cons

"The learning curve is steep and there could be more avenues for opening up learning materials to a broader audience, enabling individuals to gain practical experience with the tool."

"More integration is needed with other kinds of products for better collaboration."

"The solution's user experience and user interface need improvement because they are not that great and intuitive."

"Its stability should be improved. Its stability is the main issue, but we sometimes also have issues with calculations."

"The biggest con for Planisware is that if you are not a Planisware partner, you don't have access to their functions, making it difficult for beginners and new team members."

"They do not have anything that can assist customers with multi-year roadmap planning."

"I have experienced some issues, and that’s okay. It tends to be stable when the server's processing power and memory are adequate."

More Planisware cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is on the expensive side."

"A standard license is cheaper, but if you want more features, then there is a premium license or professional license."

"I'm not quite sure about the licensing costs. We're probably paying somewhere in the neighborhood of about 80,000 to 90,000 a year for our current on-prem because we handle our own licensing. As far as Project Online is concerned, we're still trying to get a good handle on that. It looks like it is going to be in a neighborhood of about 120,000 to 150,000 a year, but we're getting a lot more capability out of it."

"The technical assistance is expensive but the solution is an open source software."

"I think they need more flexibility with licensing, because there are preconceived ideas that don't allow as much flexibility with the various licenses."

"It's not subscription-based, we purchased the on-premises version."

"The licensing was procured before my involvement."

"There is an annual license required for this solution."

More Microsoft Project Server pricing and cost advice

"The solution could be less expensive and the cost of scaling is expensive too."

"The solution is expensive and support is an extra cost. There are three license types to choose from, and we only pay for support and cloud services depending on our needs."

"It comes with a high cost."

"There are training and certification costs."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

Energy/Utilities Company

Manufacturing Company

17%

Energy/Utilities Company

15%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Project Server?

The ability to track a project's progress using Microsoft Project Server is the most valuable aspect. It depends, especially when managing multiple projects.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Project Server?

Microsoft Project Server is on the expensive side due to high licensing costs, but it is mainly accessible to project managers. Online tools are cheaper and present competition.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Project Server?

The main drawback of Microsoft Project Server is that it is offline. Having it online would offer better access to other managers.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Planisware?

I don't have any specific details, however, it might be expensive.

What needs improvement with Planisware?

I haven't had the time to work with any other TPM tools, so I can't compare it to other tools just yet.

What is your primary use case for Planisware?

We actually use it for project planning and estimating the cost for the projects, in resource management, and as a timecard application. Users can log their time using the timesheet.

Microsoft Project vs Microsoft Project Server

Comparisons

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 13% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

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Product Reports

Download Microsoft Project Server product report

Microsoft Project Server

June 2025

Download Planisware product report

June 2025

Also Known As

MS Project Server

No data available

Overview

Microsoft Project Server facilitates project portfolio management and everyday collaboration, enhancing decision-making processes. Its integration with SharePoint offers a flexible solution for enterprise project management, catering to complex project needs seamlessly.

Microsoft Project Server empowers project teams and managers with enhanced communication and comprehensive project visibility. It supports dynamic resource allocation, financial tracking, and risk assessment. A cloud-ready platform, it simplifies deployment and scalability, suitable for diverse project environments and needs robust integration with leading productivity tools and services.

What are the key features of Microsoft Project Server?

Resource Management: Allocate and track resources efficiently to optimize productivity.
Portfolio Analysis: Assess and prioritize projects based on strategic alignment and constraints.
Time Reporting: Streamline time tracking and reporting for accurate project insights.
Integration with Office: Seamlessly connects with Microsoft Office applications for enhanced productivity.
Security and Compliance: Ensures data security with customizable permissions and compliance standards.

What benefits can users expect from Microsoft Project Server?

Enhanced Collaboration: Facilitates communication and collaboration among project teams.
Improved Decision Making: Offers comprehensive data analytics for strategic planning.
Efficiency Gains: Streamlines project management workflows for increased productivity.
Cost Management: Enables effective budget tracking and financial control.

Industries such as construction, IT services, and pharmaceuticals leverage Microsoft Project Server for managing large-scale projects with precision. Its adaptability to different industry standards ensures specific project requirements are met while maintaining operational control and regulatory compliance.

Microsoft

Resource and cost scheduling, time tracking, risk and document management in a collaborative environment. Software solution that supports the end-to-end governance of company portfolios, from finance and resource planning, to the life cycle management of products.

Sample Customers

Magnachip, Gwinnett County Schools, CLEAResult, Medbit Oy, Intelbras S.A., ETS, CORE Construction, Keller Foundations

Apotex, Alstom Transport, HP, Stryker, Rexam, Jotun, Gelita, Kraton Performance Polymers, Abbvie, Rio Tinto Alcan, Maruho, Teva, SK Chemicals